Iranian authorities have sharply increased their security presence across Tehran and other cities, deploying motorcycle patrols, checkpoints and armed personnel as officials brace for possible unrest, according to multiple sources inside the country who spoke to Fox News Digital.
The buildup coincides with a return to protest by university students in Tehran, who are demonstrating against compulsory hijab rules, rising education costs and political repression. Videos published by Iran International show the renewed activity.
Sources told Fox News Digital that motorcycle units have been active in Tehran and other cities during Iran’s annual “Sacred Defense Week,” with members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Basij militia and law enforcement stationed at major squares and other key locations. Security personnel have reportedly stopped pedestrians, searched some individuals, and checked mobile phones for content authorities deem “anti-regime.”
A report from the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s Committee on Security and Counterterrorism claims Iranian authorities ordered a “100%” state of readiness for the Army, IRGC, Basij and police, canceling leave through Sept. 27. The group alleges 51,000 personnel have been deployed across Greater Tehran, including 30,000 IRGC and Basij members and 21,000 law enforcement officers. Fox News Digital said it has not independently verified these figures.
One source inside Tehran described measures extending well beyond visible street patrols.
“Motorcyclists taking photos of shops, and prisoners being threatened and forced to tell their families not to physically participate in any protests that might arise.”
The source said previously trained Basij members have been placed on alert and are being housed at educational facilities and large properties on the outskirts of the capital. Similar measures were reported in Borujen, Isfahan and other cities, though the source said the visibility of the crackdown differs by location.
“In those places, plainclothes agents are more prevalent and try to remain out of public view; however, in Tehran, they appear openly on the streets in military uniforms and gear specifically to instill fear and terror,” the source said, adding that leave has also been canceled in smaller cities and that shops, phone communications and daily activities are under heightened surveillance.
Iranian journalist Mehdi Ghadimi, who now lives outside Iran after years of opposition activity, told Fox News Digital he has received comparable reports.
“I’ve received reports of new checkpoints being set up in Tehran, and there have also been reports of military forces being put on alert, as well as civilians who had previously been trained by the regime for urban repression being called up.”
Ghadimi said people are being detained on espionage charges simply for communicating with contacts outside Iran, and that individuals with serious criminal records have reportedly been released from prison in exchange for reporting to local Basij bases and helping suppress demonstrations.
Students Return to the Streets
Students at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran held a protest Monday against compulsory hijab rules, rising tuition and poor university living conditions, according to videos reported by Iran International on Sept. 28 and 29. Demonstrators were recorded chanting against the morality police and political repression.
Iran International reported the protest began over complaints about tuition, dormitory and food costs before expanding into broader political chants. Citing the student publication Amirkabir, the outlet reported that Basij members attempted to disrupt the gathering and threatened students.
The unrest comes amid renewed pressure over hijab enforcement on university campuses. On Sept. 8, Iran International reported that a senior official in the office representing Iran’s supreme leader at universities said a new compulsory-hijab directive was being drafted and was expected to be issued by ministries overseeing higher education.
Rhetoric Toward Washington
Separately, the IRGC escalated its rhetoric toward the United States on Tuesday. Spokesman Hossein Mohebbi called on Americans to pressure the Trump administration, saying, “This lying administration must be changed,” at a Tehran press conference, according to Reuters video distributed Sept. 29.
The comments came as U.S. and Iranian officials continued indirect contacts through mediators in an effort to end a seven-month conflict, Reuters reported.
The combination of a visible security buildup and renewed student demonstrations has fueled speculation inside Iran over whether the country could be heading toward another wave of broader unrest.
“The reality is that nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Ghadimi told Fox News Digital. “Everyone I talk to says that this situation cannot continue and that, somehow, it has to come to an end.”
